Plating tank



Dec. 18, 192a 1,695,795

W. E. BELKE PLATING TANK Filed April 14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l I go 3fnzzenzar WW? W Dec. 18, 1928.

w. E. BEHLKE PLATING TANK Filed April 14. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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w. E. BELKE PLATING TANK Filed April 14, 1927 3 SlgeptsSh'eet [720672??? 6&

Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

siren STATES WILLIAM E. BELKE, or onIo G iLLmois.

r 'rmG TANK.

Application filed April 14, 1927.- SerialNo. 183,731.

tion is shown in the accompanying draw-.

ings in which C l V Fig. 1 is a perspective vlew oftheeleotroplatingmachine, a portion of, the tankbeingbroken .away to show theinteriorthereof.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same from the opposite side, showingthe operating mechanism for the container which holds the articlesbeingplated.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the container for thearticlesto be plated.

Fig. 4; is anenlarged perspective view of an arbor which is adapted 'tobesupported in the center of the container. and which carries aplurality of depending, loosely mounted fingers for making electricalcontact withthe articles placed' in the container.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, .fragmentary, ,sectional detail ofone end of thecontainer and supporting means therefor, showing one of the removablepintles, and the means of making electrical connection therethrough. I

Fig. 6 is a plan View jjof the removable panel of the plating drum. I

In the construction shown in the drawings, the apparatus'comprises atank. ofsuitable material, such as .wood, securely bolted together andmade water-tight, :for Chnta'ining an electroplatingsolution, orelectrolytic bath in theusualma-nner,..and aidrum or cylindricalcontainer adapted toqreceiveand retain thearticles while they are beingelectroplated, and which is actuatedbytwo s,e-. ries of operatingmechanisms,-oneseries. of which is for the purpose of lowering andraising the drum intofand'out of-theeleotroplating ,bath and the otherseries of which is arranged to rotate the drum while immersed inthesolution.

The tank 1 is preferably; formed of a plu rality of boards or plankssecurely bolted together by tie-rods andbol-ts 2 in'the usual,

manner in which electroplating tanks are constructed. Resting on the top.of the tank, at opposite sides thereof, and closely adjacent to theends of thetank, are sup- 1,695,195 PAT NT OFFICE.

porting rods 3an d-4c which carry a plurality of anodes 5, suspendedtherefrom and eX-.

tending down intothe tank closely adjacent to the bottom thereof, thelower ends of which are curved inwardly towards each other, as shown at6. Suitable lead wires 7 and 8 areprovided for the rods. 3 andarespectively 7 for conducting the current V to the anodes in the usualmanner.

receptacle is provided for receiving and holding the articles which areto be electroplated, and comprises a drum .10, having.

end plates 11 and 12, preferably formed oi: Wood and bound around theirouter periphtion by a series oftransverse-barslfi, which are placed .inequally spaced relationship LbQutthe peripheries oi -the end,.pieces,.and

eries with iron straps l3 and "1, 1 suitably secured thereto by screws15 The ends 11. and 12 of the drumare heldin spaced rela- Which aresuitably grooved to provide seats for a.plurality oiielongatedpanels 1.7which are .retainedtherein by molding stripsrlS, fastened tothe crossbars by screws 19., The panels-are all providedwith aplurality ofclosely positioned perforations 120, so as: to allow-the admissionof-Lfluid to. the interior of the drum and at thesame time retain thearticlesto be plated therein. One of the panels 25 .is arranged to bereadily remov able, and is provided with a suitable fastener secured toone end thereof, which coacts with :a ifastener 27,;that is fastened ina notch 28 formed ,in the periphery of the end piece/.12. The notch 28isfdeep enough to receive the fasteners 26 and .27 without the fastenersprotruding. beyondthe -normal'-'p,eripheral [surface of the drum. Theend piece 11 is provided witha removable pintlewpin. 3,0 concentricallylocated withrespect to the head, and protruding a short distance fromthevinnerfside thereon The pin 30 is carried int-he hub portienof a flange31 which is secured to -tl ie outer surface v0i the. end piece 11,.and.retained secureda sprocket wheel '82, in spaced relation to the flange31. Said space between the flange 31 and sprocket 32 provides a so thatthe ends of the fingers terminate in.

The end piece 12, at the opposite end of the drum, is provided with aconcentrically located pintle 35, mounted concentrically in a tubularsleeve 46 of suitable insulating material, such as hard rubber, whichis'carried in an outwarr ly extending hub 38 of flange36. The flange 36is secured to the end piece 12 by suitable means, such as screws 37. Thehub also provides a bearing surface for a drum supporting arm 39 at thatside ther of, which is retained thereon by a collar 40 that is heldinplace on the hub 38 by a set screw 41. The outer end of the axial borethrough the sleeve 46 is closed by a screw 45, preferably of hardrubber, which is threaded into the bore.

The end of the pintle pin 35, adjacent the screw 45, is drilled andthreaded to receive the threaded end 35 of a copper rod 35 which issurrounded by an insulated sleeve or tube 47. The tube 4L7 and rod 35"are supported and carried by the tubular head 48, rigidly mounted on thearm 35). A suitable electric lead wire for the electroplating circuit isattached to the copper rod 35 at its outer end.

' This construction provides a heavily insulated electrical conductorfor the electroplating circuit through the rod 35 and pin 35 into whichthe rod is threaded.

In order that the electrical contact will be maintained at all timeswith the articles placed in the drum 10 to be electroplated, an arbor orsupporting bar 50 is provided which has weighted yokes 51 and 52 mountedon the opposite ends thereof, and secured thereto by set screws 53 and54 respectively. The yokes are identical'in construction, and have apair of spacedparallel arms 55 and 56, which terminate in enlargedportions 57 and 58, said enlarged portions being of a weight sufficientto keep them from rotating when placed on the pintles 30 and 35 and thedrum rotated. The supporting bar 50 is provided with a series ofdepending fingers 6O loosely mounted thereon and held in spaced relationto each other by spacing sleeves 61, said fingers being of a lengthsubstanti ally the same as the radius of the drum closely spacedrelation to the perforated panels, but out of contact therewith.

, The back edge of the tank has a pair of upwardly and forwardly curvedprojecting supporting arms 65 bolted thereto, and the upper ends of thear-ms terminate in transversely bored trunnion heads 66 for receiving amain supporting shaft 67. The drum supporting arms 39 and 39 are keyedto the shaft 67 in spaced relation so as to re ceive the drum 10therebetween. Midway between the point of support of the drum supportingarms is keyed an upwardly pro- ]ecting arm 70, the upper end of whichterminates in an elongated transversely dis is adjustably mounted acounterweight 4 by a set screw 74. 1

Means are providec. for rotating the main shaft 67, and thereby swingthe arms and drum supported thereon into and out of the electrolyticbath, and comprise an electric motor 7 5 which drives a worm 7 6 whichena gear 77. 'The gear 77 in turn drives a worm 7 8, which coacts with agear 7 9 which is rigidly keyed to the main shaft 67. This motor is ofthe reversible type, and is wired to a double-throw switch 80,preferably mounted at the front of the tank in convenient position to beoperated by the user of the tank.

In place of the reversible motor, a suitable reversing gear can ofcourse b 9 i which can be secured at any position thereon substitutedand used for accomplishing the same purpose.

VlThcn' articles have beenplaced in the drum and the drum immersed inthe electro plating bath, it is desirable that the drum be so moved orrotated that "the articles therein will be agitated so as to receive auniform plating thereon. Means are provided for'rotating the drum inthis manner, and comprise an electric motor 85, mounted on thebracket86, bolted to one side of the tank. The shaft of the motor carries aworm housed in an oil container 87, which drives a gear 88 keyed to asleeve 89, and is mounted on the main shaft 67 The inner end ofsleeve 89has a sprocket gear 90 keyed thereto, which carries a sprocket chain 91,that is in alinement with the sprocket gear 32 of the drumlO. Asuitableswitch'93 is'preferably mounted on the front side of the tankfor controlling the motor 85. I

In the operation of the device, the drum is rotated until the removablepanel is uppermost, and then the. panel removed, and

the articles to be electroplated are placed in the container. Thesupporting bar which carries the contact fingers 60 is then placed inposition on the pintles 30 and 35, the fingers 60 coming in contact withthe articles to be electroplated. The panel is then replaced and lockedin position by the fasteners 26 and 27, and the switch 80 operated so asto cause the electric motor 75, through its reduction gear, to rotatethe shaft 67 and thus swing the drum l0 downwardly into theelectroplating bath, and to a position which will be substantiallyequally spaced from the anodes 5. The lower ends of the anodes beingcurved in at 6, causes them to assume a concentric position with respectto the drum when the drum is properly posiiii tioned in the tank. Theswitch 93 is then closed, thus causing the motor 85, through itsreduction gearing and sprockets and sprocket chain, to rotate the drumin the bath. During this rotation the weights 57 and 58 on thesupporting bar 50 prevent the bar from rotating andthus keep the contactfingers 60 in electrical contact with the articles being electroplated.-The current for the plating operation is turned on at the same time thatthe container is lowered in the bath, the electrical contact being madethrough the copper rod 85 which is threaded into one end of the pintlepin 35, yoke 52, bar 50, and contact fingers 60, to the articles whichare to be electroplated.

The pint-les 35 and will become electroplated at the same time that thearticles in the container become electroplated, and these pintles aremade readily removable so that they can be replaced by new'ones byremoving the screws 45 and 31? and reaching in through the opening whenthe removable panel is not in place, and lightly tapping on the innerends of the pintles. The copper rod 35 is of course unscreweo from thepin before it is attempted to slip this pin out of its insulated sleeve.This is especially desirable, as otherwise, 1n a short time, withcertain kinds of plating, the pintle 35 would not give a goodelectricalcontact with the yokes 52 and supporting bar 50.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention, as defined by the following claims:

I claim:

1. In an electroplating device, a tank for an electrolytic solution, ananode for contacting the solution, a pair of supporting arms each havinga transverse shaft jour naled thereto, a container for the pieces to beelectroplated rotatably mounted on said shafts, an arbor havingdepending slotted ends adapted to be detachably supported by saidshafts, a plurality of contact fingers depending from the arbor, meansfor immersing the container in the solution, and means for rotating thecontainer.

2. In an electroplating device, a tank for an electrolytic solution, adrum for articles to be electroplated rotatably mounted in said tank, apint-le protruding inwardly from each end or". said drum, an arbor forsaid drum, a

'yoke'on each end of said arbor for slidably receiving said pintles, theends of the arms of said yokes being weighted sufliciently to preventrotation of said arbor when said drum is rotated. c

Signed at Chicago this 18 day of March, 1927.

WILLIAM E. BELKE.

